There are several invoice channels, i.e., ways to send invoices, in Procountor. This article covers information of different invoice channels and how they function.
General information
The invoice channel refers to the method by which an invoice is sent from the software to a business partner.
Procountor supports four invoice channels: Mail, Email, E-Invoice, No Sending (used when the invoice does not need to be sent from Procountor)
Sending an invoice incurs a delivery fee, which varies depending on the selected channel. For more details, please refer to the price list.
You can define a default invoice channel for each customer in the customer register, but the channel can also be selected individually when creating the invoice.
When you click the Send button in the software, the invoice is added to the sending queue, from which it is automatically removed based on the invoice date. If the invoice is dated for today, within the next three days, or in the past, it will be sent immediately, and its progress cannot be canceled.
Invoices dated in the future will be sent three days before the invoice date.
Invoice channels to use
General
The invoice is transferred electronically from Procountor to the printing service (Apix Messaging Oy), which prints, envelopes, and mails the invoice. Invoices and letters sent by 10:00 AM are typically dispatched to postal delivery on the same day.
The billing address used for mailing is automatically retrieved from the customer's registry details but can also be entered manually in the Invoice view of the sales invoice before sending. The invoice status remains Sent until it is matched or marked as paid.
Envelope Size
The envelope used is size C5 (22.9 cm x 16.2 cm) and has a window measuring 9 cm x 6 cm, positioned 1.8 cm from the left edge and 1.5 cm from the top edge. Mailed invoices display a bar code in the envelope window, enabling automated enveloping.
Mailing Options
When using the mail channel, you can choose whether the invoice is sent in black and white or color, and whether to use economy or priority mail. The mailing fee depends on the selected option—please refer to our price list for details.
Attachments
You can include attachments with sales invoices sent by mail. Supported file formats are GIF, JPEG, PDF, and TXT.
E-invoice
General
The sales invoice is sent electronically from Procountor to the recipient’s system. E-invoicing is a fast and reliable way to deliver invoices to recipients.
E-invoices are transmitted via either the operator network or the bank network, depending on the e-invoice addresses used by the sender and recipient. These networks differ slightly, especially in how they handle attachments.
Procountor customers can use e-invoice addresses from Apix Messaging Oy, a bank, or both. If your company uses both Apix and bank e-invoice addresses in Procountor, the operator used to transmit the invoice is automatically selected based on the recipient’s address.
When choosing the invoicing channel for customers in Procountor, it’s helpful to use the “E-invoice” function in the customer register. This feature shows all business partners with e-invoice address information available in the directory maintained by Tieke. Read more.
Attachments
You can generally send attachments with e-invoices in GIF, JPEG, PDF, and TXT formats. Attachments are always forwarded to Apix in PDF format.
Whether the recipient receives the attachment depends on both the sending and receiving operators. The general rule is: attachments are not transmitted when the e-invoice travels through the bank network.
You can check the table below to see how attachments are transmitted between different operators.
| Receiving operator: | Receiving operator: |
Sending operator: | All attachments (in approved formats) are delivered with the invoice. | Attachments are not delivered. |
Sending operator: |
Attachments are not delivered to the recipient. However, a link to view the attachments is included with the invoice, but the functionality of the link may depend on the recipient's operator.
| Attachments are not delivered to the recipient. However, a link to view the attachments is included with the invoice, but the functionality of the link may depend on the recipient's bank. |
Customer’s E-Invoice Addresses
E-invoice addresses are retrieved from the customer’s details or entered manually in the Invoice view of the sales invoice.
You can enter e-invoice addresses in several ways: manually, via the TIEKE button, or by using Procountor’s “Suggested E-Invoice Addresses” feature. The last option displays e-invoice addresses found in the TIEKE directory based on the customer’s business ID.
General
The invoice is sent to the customer as a PDF attachment via email.
The email message includes all necessary payment details (invoice number, due date, amount, reference number, account number, and barcode). The message also indicates that the invoice can be found in the email attachments. Additionally, the subject line includes the word Invoice, the invoice number, and the name of the company sending the invoice.
The customer's email address is automatically retrieved from their customer details, but it can also be entered manually in the Sales Invoice view
Attachments
You can include attachments in the email sent with the sales invoice. Supported file formats are GIF, JPEG, PDF, and TXT.
The total size of all attachments must not exceed 30 MB.
Sending an Invoice to Multiple Recipients
Sales invoices can be sent via blind carbon copy (BCC) to multiple email addresses. In this case, all intended email addresses (up to 4 BCC addresses in addition to the primary one) should be entered in the invoice or customer details.
All recipients will receive the same email and attachment. As is standard in email systems, BCC recipients cannot see other recipients. To avoid issues like duplicate payments, it’s recommended to agree on invoicing practices with recipients before using BCC.
Sender’s Email Address
When sending emails through Procountor, the sender address used is [email protected]. However, the email metadata will include the billing contact’s email address saved in the Basic Info view (Management > Company Info > Basic Info). This email address appears when the recipient opens the message and clicks “Reply.”
If no billing contact email is defined in the Basic Info, the metadata will use the email address defined in the sender’s Personal Info and Settings. If that’s also missing, the metadata will default to the sending address: [email protected].
No sending
When No sending is chosen as an invoice channel, the invoice will not be sent from Procountor, but it can be downloaded through a preview and then it can be sent, for example, from user’s own email (if the purpose is to send the invoice at all).
For example, in the case of cash sales the invoice will not be sent.
The invoice will stay on Sent status until the payment is allocated to it.
Invoice channels by receipt type
Invoices and orders
Sales invoice
Sales invoice’s (group invoices included) invoice channel can be E-invoice, Email, Mail or No sending.
Payment reminder
Payment reminder’s invoice channel can be Email, Mail or Phone/No sending.
The invoice channel Phone means that the reminder is given outside Procountor, for example, by a phone call.
Sales order
Sales order’s (and offer’s) invoice channel can be Email, Mail or No sending.
Purchase invoice
The invoice channel of a purchase invoice indicates the format in which the invoice was received. However, unlike sales invoices, the channel does not affect sending, as purchase invoices are not sent from Procountor.
If the purchase invoice was received via a scanning service, the channel is shown as Mail. If it was received as an e-invoice, the channel is shown as E-Invoice.
The image of a purchase invoice received via e-invoice or scanning service is displayed as an attachment.
For received e-invoices, the receiving operator and address information are visible. For scanned invoices, only the operator is shown, and the full receiving address can be seen on the scanned invoice image.
Purchase order
Purchase order' invoice channel can be Email, Mail or No sending.
Travel and expense invoice
Travel and expense invoices do not have invoice channels.
Other documents
Journal
Journals do not have invoice channels.
Group letter
Group letters can be sent by Mail or E-mail.
Salary slip
Salary slip’s invoice channel can be Email, e-salary, Mail and No sending.
Due to Procountor Mini usage being closed, Mobile salary cannot be selected as a salary channel after the end of March,2024.
If wanted, Email’s usage as an invoice channel can be prevented in usage settings.
Employee’s annual salary summary
Can be sent to employees by Mail or E-mail.